Thursday and Friday, September 29th 30th

Goals: To apply our new knowledge about plot elements to a short story to create a plot diagram.  To analyze effect of various literary elements in a short story.  To begin preparing for our next writing assignment by gathering and analyzing evidence.




1) "Rikki-Tikki Tavi"

Watch this clip before reading the story:
Cobra vs Mongoose

Focus on these elements:

simile
metaphor
onomatopoeia
foreshadowing

Also, identify character traits that make Rikki successful.



2) Plot Formative Assessment

3) Character Traits  Chart to prepare for writing assignment

TO DO:

Finish character trait chart and bring next class period. The story is available IN this blog OR you may ask to check out a book.

Tuesday and Wednesday September 27th and 28th

Happy Block Day!


Goals:  To find evidence of and analyze how a writer creates suspense using various literary elements and techniques.  To build our vocabulary, and to become familiar with the elements of plot.  

Agenda:

1) Finish your partner poster on "Three Skeleton Key".


2) Quizlet for "Three Skeleton Key" vocabulary

3) Elements of Plot

I will be giving you this sheet to fill in as you watch the slideshow. 
cloze notes 

Monday, September 26th

Goals: to find and analyze  textual evidence that supports how the writer creates suspense for the reader.


Periods 1 and 2 finish story.

Partner Poster-"Three Skeleton Key"



TO DO

Study vocab words from story. We will play a game on block day!

Thursday and Friday September 22nd and 23rd

Thank you so much for your work on our writing assessment!  

Goals: To expand our vocabularies by learning new words.  To practice using context clues.  To practice using close reading strategies.  To look at author's techniques and analyze the effect of these techniques.

Agenda:

1) Complete vocabulary activity before reading the story

"Three Skeleton Key" vocabulary sheet
2) RATS video clip

3) Listen to the story (I love the narrator's creepy voice). Mrs. Karney will be pausing to ask questions, clarify what is happening, ask questions, etc.


You can read it here

Text of "Three Skeleton Key"

We will focus on these terms/techniques:

suspense  (How does author create it?)
imagery
allusion
foreshadowing-Jaws clip
irony

You can find a helpful handout of words to know here:

Plot Terms and literary techniques (You might want to print this out and keep in your notebook)

Tuesday, September 20th

Happy Tuesday!

Today we will be taking our direct writing assessment.  You will watch a video and read information from for different sources.

Here is a link to the video in case you want to watch it again!

Penny Video

Monday, September 19th

Happy Fourth Week of School!

Goals: Practice editing our work for the best diction.  Build our writing community! Author a masterpiece.

Agenda:

1) Check homework-three memoirs = full credit NO late homework

2) Share our memoirs "Speed Dating" Style- Have your peers help you choose the most meaningful, powerful, appealing memoir.  Work with your table mates to edit your final choice for the best possible word choice. Remember all that we have learned about the connotation of words!

3) Publish your final draft on Google Slides.

• Requirements:

thoughtful, original, good diction, error free, slide is visually appealing and background complements the memoir.

Period 1 Slide Show

Period 2 Slide Show

Period 3 Slide Show

Mentor Sentences - We will be using mentor sentences to analyze punctuation and grammar, as well as to look at models of good writing.

Click here to go to Socrative where we will share our amazing sentences and vote on our favorites

TO DO

Bring your favorite writing tool tomorrow.  You will also need notebook paper-NOT the kind you rip out of a spiral notebook. :)

Thursday and Friday, September 15th and 16th

We are half way through September! Make sure you are writing down your assignments in your agenda and checking your teacher's webpage/blog regularly.  Stay organized.  This will help you be successful. 

Goals:  Continue to focus on word choice and connotation and denotation. Demonstrate ability to use the perfect words to communicate an important idea.

Agenda:

1)Watch this clip to see how things can go wrong when you aren't careful using new words

2)Group activities

Look at a these lists of words and identify the overall denotation

Sorting words in order of positive to negative connotation.  I will give you the words to sort.

3) Six Word Memoirs   


Click here to watch examples of Six Word Memoirs

Step by Step Directions for Your Six Word Memoir

TO DO

Bring THREE different rough drafts of six word memoirs.  They do not have to be colored or have pictures.  Written in a notebook is fine.  Remember, I do not accept late homework; this is homework!